Chapter 1: The Chakra Extraction Technique
Bang! Bang!...
Bang! Bang!...
Bang! Bang!...
The sound of Yamamoto Ryusei striking a tree echoed continuously at the edge of the dim forest. He glanced at the sun, which had already halfway set, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, and walked straight into the woods. A short while later, he emerged carrying two gray rabbits. He looked down at the rabbit in his right hand, which had an unusually large belly.
"This doe is probably about to give birth. I'll wait until after she has her babies to eat her. For today, I'll eat this male one." Yamamoto Ryusei placed the rabbits into a small bamboo basket he had made, put the lid on, and carrying the basket on his back, he started walking towards the village.
"I'm home."
"Welcome back, Ryu-chan. Oh, you caught rabbits today," a gentle woman's voice said as she took the bamboo basket from Yamamoto Ryusei.
"Yeah. The doe is about to give birth, so let's raise her for now. We can eat the male one today."
"Alright, I'll make braised rabbit tonight."
"Okay, I'm going to take a bath first."
"Go ahead, Ryu-chan. I'll call you when dinner is ready."
After his bath, Yamamoto Ryusei lay on his bed, looking at the gigantic stone faces being carved on the cliff opposite his window.
"The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju... How did I end up reincarnating into such a dangerous world?"
Yamamoto Ryusei couldn't figure it out. He wasn't a native of this ninja world but had been transported from a blue planet. On that planet, Yamamoto Ryusei had been just an ordinary high school student in China. His grades were neither good nor bad, and besides reading novels and manga, he had no bad habits. So how did he end up in the world of Naruto?
When he first arrived, this body was only two years old. It took him two years just to learn the local language. At first, he thought he had traveled to ancient Japan and dreamed of using the knowledge in his head to make a name for himself, gather a harem of wives, and live the corrupt life of the feudal era. But when he saw people leaping around like supermen, spitting fire and water, he immediately gave up on his little fantasies. It wasn't until he saw a man with long, straight black hair use Wood Release that he finally realized he had been transported to the world of Naruto—and during the most dangerous Warring States Period at that. To make matters worse, he had yet to discover any golden finger or system.
Good heavens, are you trying to kill me? Other transmigrators get reincarnated with either the 'red eye disease' (Sharingan) or 'cataracts' (Byakugan). I'm not even asking to be born into the Senju or Uzumaki clans, but couldn't I at least get the Sarutobi or Nara clan? I got nothing. My family for the past three generations have all been civilians who don't know a single ninjutsu. Yamamoto Ryusei sighed at the heavens. Fortunately, his father, Yamamoto Shuichi, was a blacksmith under the Senju clan. Staying within the Senju clan's territory was the only thing that gave Ryusei a small sense of security.
About a year ago, the Senju and Uchiha clans reached a truce and jointly established this village—Konoha. Subsequently, other clans like the Sarutobi, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and the Hyuga joined Konoha one after another. The other four great nations also formed their own hidden villages, which, along with Konoha, came to be known as the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
"Ryu-chan, time for dinner!"
"Coming!" Yamamoto Ryusei came down the stairs and saw only Yamamoto Nami at the table. "Dad's not coming back again?"
"That's right. He said that because the Hokage-sama is leading people to clean up the rogue ninja, the consumption of ninja tools is high, so he has to work overtime tonight. After you finish eating, take this bento to your father," Yamamoto Nami said, placing a cloth-wrapped bento box across from Ryusei.
"Okay, I'll go in a bit."
The nights in the current Konoha were not as prosperous as they were in Naruto's era. Most villagers had already gone to rest. The only places still lit up were the blacksmith shops, taverns, and the red-light district with its many lovely ladies. Yamamoto Ryusei's house was situated such that he had to cross the entire red-light district to get to his father's blacksmith shop. Looking at the well-endowed, boldly dressed, and enthusiastic ladies, then looking down at his own six-year-old body, he sighed. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. He had finally developed into a high schooler, and now he was back to being a child. Mentally, he was already in his twenties but still hadn't had any... close-contact experience with the ladies.
Yamamoto Ryusei reluctantly left the red-light district and arrived at Yamamoto Shuichi's blacksmith shop a few minutes later. The shop was divided into an inner and outer section by a dark blue curtain. The outer area had ninja tools like shuriken and kunai displayed on the left wall, and farming tools like hoes and sickles on the right. A rack in the middle held swords and blades. Ryusei passed through the curtain and saw his father, Yamamoto Shuichi, polishing a ninja tool by himself. The three apprentices he had hired must have already gone home.
"Dad, eat first," Ryusei said, placing the bento on a table.
"Alright, coming," Yamamoto Shuichi put down the tool in his hand, washed his hands at a basin, and then took a black package from a nearby shelf. He walked over and placed it in front of Yamamoto Ryusei. Shuichi jutted his chin towards the package, signaling for Ryusei to open it.
Yamamoto Ryusei opened the black package. Inside was a ninja tool pouch and a scroll the size of an adult's palm. He opened the scroll and saw the words "Chakra Refining Technique" written on it.
"Dad, how did you get this?!" Yamamoto Ryusei looked at his father with a delighted surprise. Shuichi glanced at the scars on his son's hands, left from his physical training.
"Seeing you train your body all these years, I knew you wanted to become a ninja. In the past few years, the clans were all at war with each other, so how could I dare let you become a ninja? It wasn't until the Hokage-sama established Konoha and things gradually became peaceful that I entertained the thought. A few days ago, I mentioned it to Lady Senju Yukie, and who would have thought that Lady Senju Miyuki would actually give this to me today!"
Yamamoto Shuichi took a few bites of a rice ball, suppressing his excitement.
"Ryusei, if you become a ninja, besides ninja tools, your father can't give you much more help."
"This is more than enough, Dad!" Yamamoto Ryusei stared at the "Chakra Refining Technique" in his hands. He finally had a stepping stone into the world of shinobi. Originally, Ryusei had planned to wait for the Ninja Academy to open before enrolling, but who knew when that would be? If he waited too long and got too old, he would truly be a "ten-thousand-year Genin." Now, with this technique and the body he had been tirelessly training, he had the capital to compete with the children of other clans at the academy. After all, the advantage in the academy wasn't in ninjutsu or genjutsu, but in taijutsu. When the time comes, I'll get first place in the academy, become the Hokage's disciple, learn powerful ninjutsu, forbidden jutsu, and sage techniques, marry a beautiful and rich girl, and reach the pinnacle of life! Just thinking about it was a little exciting.
Yamamoto Shuichi saw the fantasizing look on his son's face, chuckled, and went back to polishing his tools. About an hour later, Shuichi finished his work and patted Ryusei's shoulder.
"Wipe your drool and get ready to go home." Ryusei touched his chin, where there was no drool, and tied the new ninja tool pouch to his body. He left with his father after the door was locked.
"Hey, little Shuichi, come have some fun!"
"You must be tired from forging. Come in and relax a bit!"
"Come on in! We have sake, meat, and us to serve you!" Yamamoto Shuichi looked at the group of beautiful ladies, then at his son beside him. With an air of righteousness, he walked past them without a second glance. As soon as they were out of the red-light district, Shuichi let out a huge sigh of relief as if a great burden had been lifted. He then looked at his son.
"Ryusei, starting tomorrow, just focus on your training at home. You don't need to bring me my meals anymore."
Yamamoto Ryusei looked at his dad's poorly disguised face, then glanced back at the ladies who were still looking their way. Mom is really something else, to have trained Dad to be so obedient in this era. Wait... Dad didn't get the "Chakra Extraction Technique" just because he found me annoying following him every day, did he? But Mom's methods are much more than just this.
Yamamoto Ryusei immediately agreed. Seeing his father's happy expression, he felt gratified by his dad's fleeting moment of joy and couldn't help but give himself a thumbs-up for his own cleverness.
I really am a good son.
Ryusei followed his father home. His mother, Yamamoto Nami, glanced at the new ninja pouch on his waist without any surprised reaction. It seemed his mother had known all along.
Lying in his room, Yamamoto Ryusei looked at the Hokage Rock in the distance and said softly, "World of the Hokage... I'm finally here."
...
In Yamamoto Shuichi's room, Yamamoto Nami was crying as she looked at her husband. "Do we really have to let Ryu-chan become a ninja? We don't have any other ninjutsu. The most he can become in the future is a Genin. If he encounters a war, he'll die. I really don't want to see Ryu-chan's dead body one day."
Yamamoto Shuichi hugged his wife. "Nami, have you seen Ryu-chan sit still these past few years? He gets up early every morning to train, then practices his self-made boxing style in the forest. His daily exercise volume is almost catching up to mine. To deal with his growing appetite, he even sets traps in the forest to hunt. What is it all for? Isn't it because he wants to be a ninja? We shouldn't hold him back; we should let him pursue his dreams. Besides, Lady Senju Miyuki said that as long as Ryu-chan can produce chakra, she will guide his training. After all, my years of work for the Senju clan haven't been for nothing."
Shuichi gently stroked Nami's long hair. "Being a ninja is dangerous, but are we truly safe? I can't remember how many times I've woken up from nightmares, terrified that some ninja would break through the Senju clan's territory and kill us along the way. Now that Konoha has been established, it's safer than before, but other countries have also built their own villages. If Konoha is ever breached, Ryu-chan will have a chance to escape. And if he isn't suited to be a ninja, he can always come back and forge with me."
"Mmm, I'll listen to you," Yamamoto Nami murmured, rubbing against her husband's chest.
"Then let's rest. We have to work again tomorrow."
The lights in the Yamamoto household went out. But tomorrow would be a different kind of tomorrow.